Fender for vehicles



`Fam. 16, 1923.

' J. wHiTAKER. FENDER FOR VEHICLES.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l FILED MAY 2l. 1921.

l l Tl] Fatented dan. i6, 1923.

JAMES WHITAKER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T SAMUEL L. ASSNER, OF BOSTON, VEASSACHUSETTS.

FENDER FOR VEHICLES.

Application filed May 21, 1921. Serial No. 471,310.

To all whom t may concern: radiator, and 4, A4, the front wheels. To Be it known that l, JAMES FVHITAKER, a each side bar 1 is bolted, as at 5, an upright citizen of the United States, and resident of bar 6 of 1-beam shape in cross-section which Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of provides a longitudinal groove Z upon the 5 Massachusetts, have invented certain new inner side thereof. Near its upper end each GG and useful improvements in Fenders for side bar 6 has bolted or otherwise secured Vehicles, of which the following is a specito it, the upper end of a rigid brace bar or iication, strut 8 whose lower end is bolted to the My invention relates to fenders for veadjacent side bar 1 of the frame. These 10 hicles, particularly automobiles and the like, two bars serve to hold the side bars 6 rig- 65 and it has for its object to provide an imidly in position. rihe lower end -portions of proved fender of this class of simple and the side bars 6 extend forwardly for a short efficient construction. distance and their forward ends are con-' -My improved fender as hel-ein shown nected by a cross-bar 10 fastened at its ends comprises a frame constructed with e Seat to said forward extensions 9, said Icross-bar 70 or shelf extending across the front end of l0 serving to hold the lower ends of the uphe Vehicle e short distance above the ground rights 6 against relative displacement sideadapted to receive upon it the body of a wise. Each extension 9 also has rigidly fasi person that is Struck by the fender, end t tened to its forward end, the lower end of a feature of the invention consists in providpost l1 whose upper end is rigidly connected 75 ingthe fender with an extensible back wall by an arm 0r strut 12 with the upper end of that is normally contracted and that northe adjacent side bar 6. rlhe upper ends mally occupies a relatively low inoperative, 0f the side bars 6 are connected by a top o1' partially inoperative7 position7 means becross-bar 13 which serves to hold said ends ing provided through which the body o'r' against relative displacement sldewise. The 80 the person struck'by the vehicle acts to aublIS 6, '9, l0, 1l, l2 and 13 are lOOlGd 01 tomatically extend Seid beek Wall upwardly otherwise rigidly secured together and malte so as to interpose said wall between the front up the frame of my improved fender, said end 0f the car and the body of the person. frame being adapted to be attached to the y Another feature of the invention consists in OTWard Gnd of the frame O1 Chassis of an S5 providing the fender with two side Walls7 automobile of ordinary or standard make. one at each end of the seat, each wall com- Slidably mounted at its ends in the prising an upright yielding or resilient grooves 7 of uprights 6 is a bach board 14 buffer that ets to deflect e. body Struck to which are fastened the ends of a length thereby so that it is either directed onto Of leXblG I'Op 15- 011 @Dd 0f TOP@ 15 iS 90 Said Seat or thrown to one Side out of the fastened to back board 14 near one end therepath of the vehicle. of and extends upwardly around a sheave Other features of my invention are here- 16 supported by a bracket secured to the inafter pointed out. upper end of one of the uprights 6,

In the accompanying drawings: and thence forwardly around another 95 Figure 1 is a plan `View of the forward sheave 17 mounted upon the upper end of end of an automobile equipped witha fenthe post 11 at that side of the fender. der constructed in accordance with my in- From sheave 17 the rope 15 extends across vention. i the front of the fender to and around an- Figure 2 is a front elevation of the parts other sheave 17 secured to the upper end 106 shown in Fig. 1. of the post 11 at the opposite side of the Figure 8 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. fender, and thence rearwardly around an- Figure 4 is a detail of the gates hereinother sheave 16 mounted upon a bracket after referred to. secured to the upper end of the other up- Figure is asection on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. right 6. From this second sheave 16 the 105 Figure 6 is a detail hereinafter described. rope 15 extends downwardly to the back Havingreference to the accompanying board 14 to which it is secured. The two drawings, 1, 1, represent the forward end stretches of rope 15 which extend from portions of the side bars of the chassis or sheaves 16 to back board 14 are within the v frame of an automobile, 2 the hood, 3 the. grooves 7 of uprights 6 as indicated by dot- 11o ted lines in Fig. 2. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the front side of back board 11i is covered with padding 18 to prevent injuryy to a body that strikes against the saine.

The back board 1.4i constitutes the upper section ot the back wall oi" the Ylender, the lower section thereof being made up oit a plurality of transverse ropes 19 extending through rope eyes 2() secured to uprights 6. F rom the eyes 20 stretches 91 of ropes 19 entend forward at each' side oil the Ytender to the uprights y11 to which the ends oi"- said stretches are fastened. Thus the middle portions 19 otthese ropes constitute a yielding or resilient lower back wall-section tor the fender, while the end portions 21 thereof provide resilient or yielding side walls vlfor the tender.

At each side ot the fender, below the back ropes 19, there is provided a stretch of rope 22 fastened at its forward end to t-he adjacent upright 11, said two stretches being the end portions of a lengt-h ot rope 23 that extends through rope eyes 24T secured to the uprights 6. These two stretches 22 have fastened tothem the ends ot a plurality of transverse ropes 25 which constitute a resilient or yielding seat or body support adapted to receive upon it the body ot a person struck by the tender, and in order to prevent the body, or legs thereof, from 'passing under the seat, l provide the latter with a skirt or depending` wall at the front thereof, made up oit a plurality oit transverse ropes 26, said wall or skirt eX- tending from the seat nearly to the ground. These ropes 2G are 'fastened at their ends to the uprights l1.

In order to avoid possible injury to a body striking against the tender and against. cross-bar lO, the front side oi the latter is padded as at 2T.

Each side bar 11 has secured to it a scries of metal hoops 2S ot thin tempered strips ot sheet metal, said bar extending through its series oft hoops with each ot the latter projecting 'forward beyond the post or upright 11 so as to act as a. butter. i

Also, when a body comes into contact with either series of hoops the latter tend to swing either inwardly or outwardly therebyudeliecting thebody onto the fender vor throwing 1t aside out ot the path ot the vehicle Normally the back board li occupies its lowerniost position behind the ropes 19 so thatthe upper portion oi the radiator 3 is uncovered, When, however, the fender strikes against a person the latters body strikes against the transverse middle portion of the rope 15 and acts through the latter to v raise the back board 14 into a position 'near the upperends of uprights 6 so that it is automatically interposed between the body vand the upper portion of the radiator there-- yor socket intatte the body from contact with a body struck by the tender will either be thrown aside out otv the path of the vehicle by the resilient butler hoops 28, or will be thrown upon the tender against the upper padded wall section lll and the lower yieldino' .wall section made up ot' ropes 19.

ivotally connected at 29 to the upper end of each forward post 11 isagate or arm 30 provided with buffer hoops 31 like the hoops 28 ot postsll, said gate being normally and yieldingly held elevatedin an upright position by a spring pressed latch 32 mounted in the post 11 and co-operating with a notch "9 termed in the huh portion of the gate 30. To these two arms 39 are fastened the ends ot a` rope 34 which eX- tends across the front oit theiender alongside ot the rope 15. When a body falls into the fender it engages rope 34; and acts through the latter to swing the two arms 30 downwardly and inwardly into ho'rizontal positions thus closing the front of the fender an d preventing the body trom rebounding torwardly `out oi` the tender. These arms or gates BO are manually yrestored to their upright positions and stops 35 on posts 1l engage the sides of said gates when thus returned to their -normal positions, to prevent outward movement of each beyond its upright position. Stops V36 on the gates 30 engage the sides oi" the posts.'V 1l to limit the inward swinging movement of each gate and support the latter in horirzontal position.

ln order to catchand holdthe gates 30 in their horizontal positions when thrown downwardly as described, the tree end ot one gate is slotted vas at 37, Fig, 5, to receive the reduced or thinned end `portion 38 o'lf the other gate when said ends are brought together. Spring pressed latches 39 mounted in sockets formed in one oi'ir said gates engage in a slot 4i() formed in the other gate, to yieldingly loc-k the two arms t0- getlier when swung down into their closed positions.

l/Vhatl claim is:

l. A fender for vehicles having, ini combination, a frame for attachment to the vehicle; a horizontal body support; a normally contracted extensible back wall'inovable independently of said body support and disposed at the rear of the latter, and automatic. means tor extending said back wall when a body is struck by the fender.

2. A tender for vehicles having, in combination, a 'frame for attachment to the vehicle; a horizontal body support; a normally contracted extensibleback wall movable independently of said body 4 support and disposed at'the rear of the later,"and means through which a body that is-struck` by the fender acts to extend said back wall upwardly so as to interpose said wall between the body and the end of the vehicle.

3. A fender for vehicles having, in coinbination, a frame for attachment to the vehicle; a horizontal body support; a normally contracted extensible back wall at the rear of said body support comprising a section that is inoval'ilyv mounted upon said frame and normally occupies a relatively low position, and a member extending across the front of the fender and adapted to be operated by a body that is struck by the fender to shift said section upwardly into an operative position.

Ll. A fender for vehicles having in combination, a frame for attachment to a vehicle; a horizontal body support; a back wall section mounted upon said frame to move independently of said body support and normally occupying` a relatively low position, and a member extending across the front of the fender and adapted to be operated by a body that is struck by the fender to shift said section upwardly into its operative position.

5. A fender for vehicles having in combination, a frame for attachment to the vehicle; a horizontal body support on said frame; two posts, one at each side of said support7 and forwardly projecting eccentrically disposed spring buffer hoops on said posts for shielding a body from the latter and deflecting said body sidewise.

6. A fender for vehicles having in combination, a frame for atachment to the vehicle; a horizontal body support on said frame; two posts on said frame, one at each side of said support, and forwardly projecting spring buer hoops secured to said posts for deflecting a body sidewise, either onto the fender or out of the path of the vehicle.

7. A fender for vehicles having in combination, a frame for attachment to the ve hicle; a horizontal body support on said frame; a back wall at the rear of said body supportmade up of ropes secured to said frame and extending transversely thereof, and side walls, one at each side of said body support7 constituted by the end portions of said ropes.

8. A fender for vehicles having in conrbination, a frame for attachment to the vehicle comprising two pairs of uprights, one of said pairs being near the front of the fender and the other pair near the rear thereof; a horizontal body support on said frame; a back wall at the rear of said body support made up of ropes extending transversely of said frame7 and side walls7 one at each sidev of said body support, said side walls being constituted by the end portions of said ropes and said end portions being fastened to said uprights.

9. A fender for vehicles having in combination7 a frame for attachment to the vehicle; a horizontal body support on said frame; an upstanding back wall near the rear of said body support; a pair of gates at opposite sides of the fender, each gate being pivotally mounted on said frame to move up and down; means normally holding the gates in elevated positions, and means adapted to be engaged by a body that is struck by the fender through which said body acts to positively move said gates downwardly into their closed positions as it enters upon said body support.

10. A fender for vehicles having, in combination, a frame for attachment to the vehicle including two upright side posts each comprising a lower fixed section and an upper movable gate section pivotally connected with the lower section so as to swing up and down crosswise of the vehicle; means yieldingly supporting each upper gate section in upstanding position; a horizontal body support on said frame; an upstanding back wall near the rear of said body support, and means through which a body that is struck by the fender positively acts to swing said upper gate sections downwardly and inwardly to cause them to con line Said body in its position upon the body support.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

JAMES WHITAKER. 

